In Between Two Alphas

Chapter 5

“Who were you with?” His grayish blue eyes were growing darker.

I was sucked in staring at the swirl of colors running through his eyes and I found myself replying.

“I was with Zev.”

As soon as I said those words, Layton’s eyes turned completely black. His fingers pressed into my skin and I could feel the bruising he was creating in my waist. He looked murderously angry.

Layton made it clear he wanted nothing to do with me the moment he kicked me out of his lunch table. But every time he saw me with Zev, he behaved like if we were together.

“Layton, you’re hurting me,” I said, trying to get out of his arms.

He abruptly loosened his hold on my waist. A few minutes later, he completely let me go.

“I told you I didn’t want you near him,” Layton said, his voice sounding strained.

“Zev is my friend.”

I straightened up my shirt, which had risen higher in my stomach when Layton had been holding me.

He didn’t try to stop me when I left the room. Like he’d been doing before, he followed me out and walked me to my next class.

On the way, I thought about an excuse for being tardy.

I gave Layton a sideways glance and could easily tell he was still angry. His eyes remained darkened and his jaw was clenched. I was starting to feel bad for whoever had to put up with him in his next period.

When we got to my class, Layton opened the door and walked in. Everyone inside the room went quiet when they saw him. Layton nodded at my teacher and then turned to face Tyler.

The teacher didn’t even look mad that I was late and he didn’t ask me anything. Layton left the class right after I took a seat next to Tyler. It was funny to watch everyone sighing audibly and relaxing after Layton left the room.

I had been quietly working on the lab assignment, although my thoughts were still on what had happened with Layton in the empty History room.

 “You were with Zev during lunch,” Tyler stated.

Layton and Tyler made me feel guilty about hanging out with Zev. 

“What if I was?” I asked defensively.

“It would explain why you were really late and why Layton looked ready to kill someone.”

“What’s the deal with Layton and Zev anyway?” Tyler looked thoughtful for a moment before answering.

“You should ask one of them.”

“I don’t get why Layton hates him so much. Zev is pretty cool. He’s actually nice,” I said, thinking about Layton’s bigheaded ways.

“So Zev’s nice, but Layton isn’t?” Tyler asked.

“I don’t understand Layton, he’s confusing. And besides, he doesn’t even like me.”

Tyler started laughing at me after I said that.

“What?”

“Nothing, you’re just way off. Layton is a little complicated but Zev is the same way.”

“Layton is mean and arrogant, even though he hardly opens his mouth. Zev is really nice and he’s funny,” I explained.

“You hardly know Layton, and Zev isn’t exactly ‘nice’,” Tyler scoffed.